As long-term residents of Yass, the Walker family was excited to see these new parts of the Yass River open up to the public. Photo: Michelle Kroll.
Fishers, kayakers, picnickers, ramblers and families looking for a spot to kick a ball are already visiting a beautiful 2.5-hectare parcel of land running along the picturesque Yass River that just opened up to the public.
The Walkers – a local family behind the Yarrah at Yass development – opened the private holding adjoining Stage 1 of Yass Valley’s newest development ahead of schedule for the local community’s recreational use.
“As long-term residents of Yass, my family was excited to see these new parts of the Yass River open up to the public,” project manager Jack Walker says.
“It captures the best of the idyllic rolling hills of Yass Valley with a beautiful outlook over the historic Cliftonwood.”
The picturesque parcel offers a glimpse into the broader vision for the Yass Valley’s newest development – a “special place to live in Yass”, where the river’s ambience and the relaxed Yass lifestyle come together in a community created around and between parks, schools, shops, recreation, entertainment and jobs.
Yarrah adjoins the township of Yass and is a Master Planned community consisting of eight carefully designed stages delivering over 700 dwellings, but also 11 hectares of open space, providing ample opportunities for residents to connect with nature and enjoy outdoor activities.
“Our vision is a community that celebrates the river through parks and walking trails carefully laid out to entice residents to share all their community and Yass has to offer,” Jack says.
Beyond the outdoor enthusiasts, Yarrah is already buzzing with activity.
Construction of the first 120 houses in Stage 1 is well underway, and the first two residents recently moved in.
Earthworks for the Stage 2A land release commenced in March 2024 and are expected to be completed by August this year, while the Stage 2B land release civil earthworks are planned to commence in Spring this year.
The Master Plan, Stage 3 and Stage 4 are moving through the approval process. Stage 3 will include the delivery of two pocket parks, a children’s play area and the first portion of the footpath network along the river corridor that’s currently accessible to the public.
Jack says excitement is starting to mount.
“There’s a lot of activity happening at the site, and we’ve received overwhelmingly positive comments from the community,” he says.
“We’re continuing to work on future releases, giving people more and more access to that portion of the river corridor.”
The development also includes an activated mixed-use activity centre, which will provide diverse retail, commercial and lifestyle options. There is also a designated area for health-related services.
Alongside the outdoor and lifestyle opportunities, Yarrah, which infills a previously underdeveloped riverside parcel isolated by the disused rail corridor, will offer diverse and affordable land and housing options in the Canberra region.
Available land sizes range from 400 sqm to 1200 sqm. House and land packages can be tailored to dwellings ranging from townhouses to standalone homes, and land plots will be available as well.
“Yarrah will bring some relief to a constrained market, hopefully providing young families with a foothold and downsizers a chance to plan and prepare for intergenerational change.”
The Yarrah master plan received zero submissions during public consultation, which Yarrah director of sales John Runko takes as a “vote of confidence” from the community.
“People can see the value and opportunity Yarrah will provide,” he says.
“I think the thing that excites most people about this estate is its unique positioning. In the river corridor, there’s nothing else in the market that compares to it.
“For someone looking for a serene and beautiful lifestyle, this estate is ideal.”
John says the benefits of the lifestyle combine with good value to put Yarrah on track to become a popular option for Canberrans happy to make the 40-minute drive from the nation’s capital for the tradeoff.
“What we’re looking to build is effectively a community asset that will create a lifestyle people will gravitate to,” he says.
“It’s been designed to appeal to a cross-section of the community from first home buyers to people looking to upgrade as well as those wanting to downsize. There will be an abundance of open spaces so those who opt for townhouses and smaller packages won’t feel ‘hemmed in’ like you sometimes do in traditional townhouse estates where there’s nothing but concrete and glass as far as the eye can see.”
For more information on the last remaining Yarrah Stage 1 and Stage 2 lots available for purchase, as well as several additional house and land packages coming to the market soon, visit Yarrah Yass River.
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